Ford to Add 1,200 Workers at Michigan Plant

A former Mazda 6 production facility, run by Ford (NYSE:F[1]), will add 1,200 new workers in 2013 as it retools to start manufacturing one of Ford’s most popular sedans[2].

At present, the Flat Rock, Mich., plant employs 1,685 workers producing Ford Mustangs. It stopped making the Mazda 6 in August when the Japanese automaker transferred production of the vehicle back to Japan, the Toronto Blade noted.

The addition of Fusion production next year will boost the plant’s number of employees to 2,900. It had formerly been a joint operation between the two automakers, operated as AutoAlliance International. Next year the plant’s workers will officially become Ford employees.

Ford plans to invest $555 million in the Flat Rock plant, adding flexible body-production lines. That investment will allow the company to streamline production by adding the capacity to build virtually any Ford vehicle at the plant.

In July, Ford announced lower second-quarter earnings and revenue and reduced its outlook for the full year[3].

Shares of Ford rose more than 1% in Wednesday morning trading.

Endnotes:

F: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=F

as it retools to start manufacturing one of Ford’s most popular sedans: http://www.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2012/09/10/Ford-to-add-1-200-jobs-at-Flat-Rock-plant.html

reduced its outlook for the full year: http://investorplace.com/2012/07/ford-announces-q2-losses-lowers-2012-outlook/